Year: 1963
Donor: Professor Lee Yun-woon
DETAILS
Establishment of Department of Fine Arts
In February 1957, New Asia College launched a two-year Fine Arts Specialized Training Program. Through the promotion of arts, the Program aspired to promote Chinese culture, which emphasizes both morality and arts – as said in The Analects, “Let the will be set on the path of duty. Let every attainment in what is good be firmly grasped. Let perfect virtue be accorded with. Let relaxation and enjoyment be found in the polite arts.” The Program’s curriculum covered traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy, with an aim to nurture talented artists and art educators and contribute to society.
Since the early days of New Asia College, Mr. Ch’ien Mu had hoped to set up a fine arts department, an idea he brought up whenever he met Mr. Chen Shih-wen, one of the Program’s founders. The proposed fine arts department remained in the planning stage, owing to a lack of campus space and funding. In 1956, with financial aid from the Yale-in-China Association, New Asia College moved to larger premises on Farm Road, but funding remained a major obstacle.
In the following year, Mr. Chen Shih-wen approached Mr. Ting Yin-yung to discuss the feasibility of having a fine arts department at New Asia College. Ting suggested setting up a training program first, before conditions were ripe for a full-fledged department. They soon met with Mr. Ch’ien Mu, who responded to Ting’s proposal with great enthusiasm despite having a high fever. Mr. Chen, Mr. Ting and Mr. Ch’ien decided to launch the Fine Arts Specialized Training Program at New Asia College. Admission for the new Program, from publicity to matriculation examination, was completed within three weeks. To overcome the lack of funds, the Program’s instructors took hourly wages only for their classes.
Following the establishment of Fine Arts Specialized Training Program, its teachers and students organized art exhibitions, winning both popularity and critical acclaim. Building upon the Program’s reputation, New Asia College established a full-fledged Department of Fine Arts, with a four-year curriculum, on February 1, 1959.
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